Experimental investigation and thermodynamic description of the Cu-Cr-Zr system

The Cu-Cr-Zr ternary system was investigated via thermodynamic modeling coupled with key experiments. The isothermal section of the Cu-Cr-Zr system at 1123 K was determined by means of optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron probe microanalysis, and the phase transformation temperatures were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The Cu-Cr sub-binary system was re-assessed with a substitutional solution model for the solution phases to ensure its compatibility in multi-component system. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters for the Cu-Cr-Zr systems was obtained using the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) approach, and the calculated phase diagram is in a satisfactory agreement with the present experimental results and literature information. An increase of the thermodynamic stability for the CuZr and Cr2Zr phases due to the ternary solubility is verified by calculation.